THE SPANISH FLU

Before the world experienced the Coronavirus pandemic, there were many other pandemics throughout history; one that traces back to the earliest recorded pandemic in 430 B.C. in Athens. This writing piece will take a look back in history to the Spanish Flu that started around this month of 1918. The Spanish Flu is arguably one of the most death-dealing diseases in history. The virus spread worldwide from 1918 to 1919 with no consensus in regards to how or where the virus originated. While some may have suggested that the disease started in China, France, Britain, or even the United States, others may think that the Spanish flu was first started in Spain, hence the name “Spanish Flu.” Nevertheless, this pandemic produced the greatest number of influenza deaths in recent history. This disease caused a global pandemic with an estimated number of 500 million people being infected. Although the definite numbers of death remain uncertain, data shows that this flu killed an estimated number of 20 to 50 million people. This number is included with the 675,000 Americans that also died.

In addition to this, there was also World War I that took place the same time the Spanish flu reached its peak. Doctors, nurses, and anyone with medical backgrounds was serving in WWI which caused a shortage of medical personnel. According to the CDC, there were more U.S. soldiers killed from the flu pandemic than to WWI. During the Spanish flu pandemic, there were limited treatment tools that were being used to help the ones infected by the disease. The Spanish flu virus spread around the world so quickly that there were lower to zero chances of the public to prevent the flu. With the limited ways to prevent and treat the flu, it created a major public health crisis. We are fortunate enough to be in this modern world where vaccines are being produced for the recovery of the Covid pandemic. We are here about 100 years after the Spanish flu pandemic and we have seen advances in science and technology. It is no secret that the world we’re living in right now has made major advancements in different fields that help with disease prevention and control. For instance, we now have the CDC that has constantly worked on addressing this pandemic and giving out guidelines to make sure that all of us are doing our best during this pandemic.

The Spanish flu pandemic finally came to an end around the summer of 1919. Although the pandemic only lasted 1 year, it was so deadly that every pandemic after it never reached the same number of deaths as the Spanish flu did. We have to keep in mind that the flu pandemic will always be there because flu viruses are one of the world’s greatest health challenges. It is significant for us to look back in history because it’s good information to know that there have been deadly diseases and pandemics before Covid hits. But there’s one thing that every pandemic throughout history has in common, it is that each one of them will eventually come to an end. Let us all be positive and hope for the best as we look forward to the day this Covid pandemic will finally end...